Save the date! Stearns 2018 Fair July 25-29, 2018 July 24 (non-livestock/static judging)

Save the date! Stearns 2018 Fair July 25-29, 2018 July 24 (non-livestock/static judging)

University of Minnesota Extension Stearns County 4-H Program 3333 West Division Street Suite 10 St. Cloud, MN 56301 Web: www.extension.umn.edu/county/stearns Facebook: www.facebook.com/stearnscounty4h Twitter: @stearns4h Instagram: @stearns4h Email: mnext-stearns@umn.edu Phone: 320-255-6169 Office hours: M-F; 8:00am-4:30pm (Re) Enrollment/Membership Website: https://mn.4honline.com Fair Registration Website: https://stearns.fairentry.com 2016 Regents of the University of Minnesota. University of Minnesota Extension is an equal opportunity educator and employer. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, this publication/material is available in alternative formats upon request. Direct requests to 612-624-2116. Printed on recycled and recyclable paper with at least 10 percent postconsumer waste material.

WELCOME TO 4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT! We hope your family's involvement in this exciting youth organization will enrich your lives. This handbook should help to answer many of the questions you may be asking. Your club leader can be a great help to you - just ask. If we can be of any help to you, please don't hesitate to pick up the phone and call, drop us an e-mail or stop by the Stearns County Extension Office for a visit. We look forward to working with you. 4-H IS... an informal, practical, learn-by-doing educational program for youth. It helps them establish real-life goals and become competent, productive citizens. And they have fun in the process! In 4-H, young people learn about and solve problems facing them and their communities. The knowledge and skills they acquire in 4-H opens the door to a lifetime of personal growth. 4-H EMBLEM Head - Mental Development Deeper knowledge and reasoning Heart - Emotional Development Developing interest, appreciation, and wholesome attitudes. Hands - Skills Development Ability to do, skill in doing, and habit of doing. Health - Physical Development Understanding and appreciating a growing and changing body. 4-H COLORS Green and White The white in the 4-H flag symbolizes purity. The green, nature's most common color, is emblematic of life, springtime, and youth. 4-H MOTTO "To Make the Best Better" 4-H PLEDGE I pledge My Head to clearer thinking, My Heart to greater loyalty, My Hands to larger service, and My Health to better living for my family, my club, my community, my country, and my world. Members raise their right hands to their foreheads when they say, "My Head to clearer thinking". They lower them to their hearts as they say, "My Heart to greater loyalty". At the line, "My Hands to larger service," they extend their palms upward. At the line, "My Health to better living" they stand at attention with their hands at their sides and remain in that position until the close of the pledge.

Well, can I be part of the fun? Youngsters can become involved with 4-H in two different ways! Either through a one-time experience, such as 4-H Adventures or Afterschool; or by enrolling in a 4-H club. Yes, you can be a part of the fun! 4-H community club membership is open to youth kindergarten through one year after graduation from high school without regard to race, creed, color, sex, national origin or disability. Both city and rural youth may belong to 4-H. ENROLLMENT PROCEDURE (Re) Enrollment is online at: https://mn.4honline.com The 4-H program year is Oct. 1 Sept. 30, however reenrollment by October 15 is requested. Members enroll by selecting one or more project areas to work on during the year. If you're in grades K-2, enroll as a Cloverbud. A complete listing of projects is available online at: http://www.extension.umn.edu/youth/mn4-h/projects/ Parents should work closely with their child in project selection. Keep in mind: - Child's interests - Materials or equipment needed - Cost of the project - Who can help the child (parent, leader, or neighbor) - Amount of time available to spend on the project We recommend only one or two projects for first year 4-H'ers. You can receive or purchase a "project bulletin" with information about the project. Bulletins are written at the 4-H'ers level. Additional project help is available by asking your club project leader. THE MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER The monthly 4-H club meeting is the starting point to learning. Clubs decide for themselves where and when they will meet. This is done yearly when the year's program is planned. Each club decides if they will have dues and how much it will be. Ask your club leader about your club's policies. Here is what you can expect at a club meeting. Call to Order - by president, to have everyone sit down and bring attention to the meeting. Flag Pledges - American pledge followed by 4-H pledge. Roll Call - led by secretary. A theme is selected each time for the member to respond (example: name your favorite flower). Secretary's Report - reading of the minutes from the previous meeting. Treasurer's Report - reading of money taken in and spent, and approvals for money to be spent. Committee Reports - specific activities may have groups of members and parents working on an event. At this time, they report on any decisions their group made since the last meeting. Old Unfinished Business - items brought up at previous meetings where decisions need to be finalized. New Business - new items of discussion. Announcements - leaders may make a few comments at this time. Adjournment - usually the president will ask for a motion to adjourn the meeting. This is a good time for a new member to make or second a motion.

Demonstrations - usually every member has the opportunity to show and tell what they've learned in one of their 4-H projects during the year. Guest Speaker - clubs will sometimes invite someone to speak to the group. This can be people from the community or parents of club members who are willing to share their favorite hobby. Clubs are usually looking for ideas - so feel free to suggest ideas! Recreation - optional. Refreshment - a light snack ends the meeting. Some clubs offer a glass of juice, others offer sandwiches and more. The parents may want to decide at the beginning of the year what type of refreshment they want to provide. YOUR FAMILY'S ROLE AT A CLUB MEETING 4-H Members Sit attentively during the meeting Learn the 4-H club pledge Answer roll call Participate in discussions after being recognized by club president Make or second a motion Vote Volunteer for committees or tasks of interest Give a demonstration or project talk once during the year Parents Provide transportation to the meeting Attend meetings whenever possible Provide refreshments following the meeting one or more times during the year Take note of dates or commitments for your family Open your home for a 4-H meeting (if asked) Volunteer to assist members on club activities of interest Duties of Club Leaders There are many opportunities to give leadership in 4-H clubs. Leaders' roles may be filled by parents or other interested adults from the community. All selected adults will complete a 4-H volunteer screening. Clubs vary on how leaders are selected. Some rotate leadership roles among all parents; in other clubs the members elect their leader; in some clubs the Activity Leader becomes the Key Leader the following year. Ask your club leader how your leaders are selected. Duties of the club leaders are as follows:

Organization Leader (Key Leader) Extension Office's key contact person for the club Distributes and collects enrollment materials or asks another leader to do this task Recruits project leaders Coordinates club meeting agendas with club president and rest of the officers Coordinates club program planning (guest speakers, etc.) Attends Annual Leaders Conference in fall Activity Leader Recruits parent and youth leader support for planning activities such as: Fundraising project, club trip, parties (Halloween, Christmas, etc.), county fair booth, banner, and scrapbook. Project Leader Usually a project leader is selected for a project when three or more members are enrolled in a project. Assists members in project selection As a group, they plan the summer club project tour Gives project training "lessons" involving the members in their project. This can be done after a regular 4-H meeting or on a separate day Assists with project evaluation and county fair exhibits Duties of Club Officers President: Presides at all 4-H meetings. May appoint committees as needed. Vice President: Serves in the absence of the president. May serve as chairperson. Secretary: Records minutes of actions of the meeting. Treasurer: Keeps an up-to-date financial record of the club's income and expenditures. Write checks. Reporter: Writes interesting reports of club meetings and events for local newspaper. Historian: Keeps pictures and articles about club activities in a scrapbook. Recreation/Song Leader: Plans and leads songs and games at the 4-H meeting. DEMONSTRATION TIPS Project talks or demonstrations before a 4-H club are a great learning experience for a 4-H member. The child learns to speak in front of a group. Think of "show and tell" as your first year member's demonstration. Have him/her bring something to the meeting they've made and have them tell how they did it. Preferably the demonstration will be from one of their 4-H projects. The idea is having them get in front of a group and have a good experience. You can build on the first experience in following years. The 4-H'er can actually do steps in the making of an object or illustrate something they've learned. To polish off a demonstration, add posters to highlight important points.

WRITTEN PROJECT EVALUATION Project evaluations are a great way for a member to check their progress in a project. Members in all projects will receive records or guidelines for project evaluation in the fall. Specific questions are asked appropriate to the projects. Be sure to keep track of all activities that you are involved in that could be included on your record. Some helpful tips in project evaluations are: Discuss the record with your child when you receive it from your leader. Decide together what you will work on. Jot things down when they happen on a calendar (example: when John makes a snack for the family, mark in your 4-H calendar). Ask your adult or youth leaders if something is unclear. Keep all 4-H records, bulletins, etc., in one place. Project evaluations are due to your club Key Leader in August. They will review them and offer suggestions to your child. STEARNS COUNTY 4-H PROGRAM THE 4-H NEWSLETTER: CLOVER UPDATE As a 4-H family, you will receive an email listing the monthly online newsletter articles, which will highlight upcoming county and state 4-H events and activities. Newsletter articles are available the 1st of each month at: www.extension.umn.edu/county/stearns. However, we publish articles throughout the month, so check the website frequently. COUNTY 4-H FEDERATION AND ADVISORY COUNCIL Your voice is important in helping guide the future of the Stearns County 4-H Program. The county 4-H Federation and Advisory Council meetings are your opportunity to be heard. Our county is divided into five geographic areas. Each area has an adult leader and two youth leader representatives on the Advisory Council elected at the September Federation meeting. The officers of the Advisory Council are elected by the entire group that evening. The Federation meets in September, October, January and May. Open Advisory Council meeting dates will be in the newsletter. If you have any suggestions or concerns about the 4-H program, give your Area Representative a call. STEARNS COUNTY JUNIOR LEADERS The Junior Leader group is open to all 4-H'ers 7 th grade and up. Members interested in being involved as an Junior Leader should enroll in Youth Leadership as a project. This ensures members of receiving information on all the activities of this exciting group. Junior Leaders have three main purposes: service to 4-H and the community, to provide educational programs of interest to teens, and recreation. The Junior Leader group helps conduct and plan county events. Teens select speakers for meetings which have included male/female relationships, assertiveness, winter survival, team building, leadership, understanding differences, parliamentary procedure, etc. All group activities are planned by teens for teens.

AWARDS A variety of awards are given at the county level. The major ones are listed below. More details on each award and basis for selection can be obtained at the Extension Office. Outstanding Officers (Secretary, Historian, Reporter) One or more in each office are named yearly to recognize members who did an outstanding job in their club officer role. Outstanding Youth Leader Award To recognize teens who were of great service to others in 4-H and showed leadership talents, one or more teens are named annually. Merit Clubs Clubs that achieved the goals they set at the beginning of the year are recognized with ribbons for each club member. Notes CLUB OFFICERS for 4-H Club President: Vice President: Secretary/Treasurer: Reporter: Historian: Recreation Committee: Key Leader: Activity Leader: Assistants: PROJECT LEADERS (projects with 3 or more members) Name Project YOUTH LEADER

CLUB GOALS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. ORDER OF BUSINESS 1. Meeting called to order 2. Pledge of Allegiance to Flag 3. 4-H club pledge 4. Roll Call 5. Minutes of last meeting 6. Treasurer's Report DUTIES OF EACH MEMBER Attend monthly 4-H meeting. Offer your suggestions and input during the meeting. Cheerfully volunteer to help with club activities. Choose 4-H projects that are interesting to you; ask your project leaders for help when you have a problem. Talk with mom and dad about your family's responsibilities in the 4-H club. Ask your club leader if you do not understand something. 7. Committee Reports 8. Call on leaders for comments 9. Unfinished Business 10. New Business 11. Adjournment 12. Program 13. Recreation Try to do your best in your 4-H projects and activities. Try to MAKE THE BEST BETTER.

OCTOBER, 2017 Time to re-enroll & start another exciting year in 4-H! Tips on Re-enrolling This information is essential for your 4-H experience. It is important that you update all the required information including: mailing address contact information applicable health details emergency contact information I want to join 4-H! Attend Federation Meeting in October Plan hayride party or other family activity Invite all your friends who are not in 4-H to a meeting and invite them to join 4-H Advertise National 4-H Week October 1-7, 2017 (put a booth in a store, visit schools, do publicity on radio) Install new officers Set up a committee to plan the year's meetings Set club goals Encourage youth leaders to attend a Junior Leader meeting Select Beef Calves Don t miss out on important 4-H mailings Time to re-enroll & start another exciting year in 4-H! (This process is done online at: https://mn.4honline.com ) Next comes the fun part Picking out the projects that you are interested in! This is how the 4-H staff knows who to send important 4-H project and event information to. If every mailing was sent to every 4-H er, you d be bombarded with e-mail! Instead, when you mark that you re interested in the Photography project or the Beef project, for example, we know to send you information on upcoming events or updates regarding Photography, Beef, or whatever project you would love to learn about.

NOVEMBER, 2017 DECEMBER, 2017 Place, date & time of meeting: Has everyone re-enrolled? Don t miss out on important 4-H mailings Time to re-enroll & start another exciting year in 4-H! Club forms (i.e. grads) due November 1 st Club Charter paperwork due November 1 st Outstanding officer applications due November 1 st Welcome new members to the club with special ceremony Plan family Christmas get together Local club achievement and recognition night New officer training Plan a project meeting during the Holiday vacation Make plans for a Club Communications Day Select members to exchange with another club for the January meeting Plan winter recreation

JANUARY, 2018 Check to see if you have the records needed for each project. Lambs must be born after January 1 Start dairy calf project soon Have a record workshop to set objectives for members projects. Start working on projects Hold a club Performing Arts contest Federation Meeting: Club Survival Kits (aka Calendar of Events and Deadlines) distributed Update Your 4HOnline Project List Remember the projects that you selected on your 4HOnline enrollment/membership profile at the beginning of the 4-H year? Well, now is the time to check if those are still the projects that you want to take to the county fair. Why are you doing this in January? Good question! Livestock ID deadlines will be here before we know it. Planning ahead is essential if you want to receive all of the important updates and information for your projects. The Extension Office needs to know which projects you want to bring. We will begin to send project updates soon; also watch your e-mail for trainings and other project related events you may want to experience non-livestock and livestock. The bottom line is if a project is not entered on your 4hOnline enrollment/membership profile (https://mn.4honline.com ) the Extension Office won t know to send you important project updates.

FEBRUARY, 2018 Catch up on your record keeping Set up club project meetings Send valentine to your club leaders Market beef animals need to be weighed and identified by February 15 Start thinking about Share-the-Fun and Performing Arts. Don t forget to sign-up by March. MARCH, 2018 Time to update your Project Information Sign-up for Share-the-Fun/Performing Arts Showcase Start poultry project Plan a backwards night for members Have a baking contest by parents judged by members

APRIL, 2018 Has everyone updated their Project profile? Animal ID Tips Perhaps you ve decided to show an animal at the county fair that s great! To do so, you must fill out an animal I.D. on 4Honline. The 4-H office will email this information to you because you marked your interest on your membership profile during your (re)enrollment. (See how all these things are connected?) This form shows us that the animal you bring is the one with which you have worked. It also meets state fair requirements and addresses several animal safety practices. This information is required for bringing your animal to the county fair. If it is not received by the deadline, you will be unable to show your animal at county fair or state fair. There are no exceptions to the animal ID deadlines. Organize a softball team Work on clothing exhibit Plan garden project Choose your lambs and pigs Dog training starts in late May/early June

MAY, 2018 Has everyone submitted their Animal IDs for fair? Register for fair at https://stearns.fairentry.com Registration open from May Federation Meeting date (approx. May 15) to June 15 ALL animal ID information due online by May 15 th o (Market Beef was due Feb 15) Complete Project Records by County Fair Entry Day Federation Meeting: Fair registration materials distributed Day and Summer camp sign-ups Dog Training Sessions will begin soon JUNE, 2018 Now you get to show off all your hard work!! Time to Register for County Fair https://stearns.fairentry.com Fair registration due June 15 th at https://stearns.fairentry.com Plan a club booth, container, banner, scrapbook and/or cut-out for county fair Continue training livestock for fair Hold club project tour - involve project leaders in sharing their skills Dog training sessions underway Set up a club picnic or outing for entire club Plan a club educational tour

JULY, 2018 Get ready for County Fair Practice judging questions with family and club members Set up booth at the fair Exhibit at the 2018 County Fair: July 25-29, 2018 REMEMBER: Non Livestock Judging is on July 24, 2018 Good Job! AUGUST, 2018 Summarize your Youth Leadership activities Plan to participate in or tour the State Fair Invite new families to join Plan a club enrollment drive Have a club picnic Think up new and terrific things to do for the upcoming club year

SEPTEMBER, 2018 Ideas for upcoming year Federation Meeting: Fall Enrollment materials distributed Review last year's work Elect officers Enroll for next year Promote National 4-H Week - have local business person speak at your meeting Attend Fall Federation Meeting September 17, 2018 Start recruiting new members Adopt Budget Appoint Auditor

4-H ADVISORY COUNCIL NAMES & TELEPHONE NUMBERS OF FAMILIES IN CLUB The 4-H Advisory Council is the guiding group for the County 4-H Federation. The council makes recommendations for County 4-H policy as well as suggesting areas for expansion. It meets during months the Federation does not meet. It also sets the budget for funds raised at the County Fair Foodstand. PRESIDENT: AREA REPRESENTATIVES: 1. Adult Youth Leader 2. Adult Youth Leader 3. Adult Youth Leader 4. Adult Youth Leader 5. Adult Youth Leader The University of Minnesota Extension is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, or sexual orientation.